Peasant Farmers Optimistic Of Gains from Planting for Food and Jobs

The peasant farmers of Ghana have expressed renewed confidence in the Akuffo-Addo’s government’s ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ campaign launched earlier this week on Wednesday. According to the group, the project is in the best interest of farmers as it stands to give them a new sense of hope.

Madam Victoria Adongo-Project Coordinator for the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana who spoke to Rite news indicated that the challenges that confront peasant farmers would be tackled through the initiative.

‘The Peasant Farmers are pleased with the campaign since planting for food and jobs will elevate farmers from their various challenges and it is only this government among others that seek to help the country’s farmers including the youth since most of them were not interested in the agric sector,’ madam Adongo noted.

According to her, the youth are not attracted to the sector simply due to the fact that they don’t put much value on it, a situation which she believes the planting for food and jobs would help address.

‘The simply reason why the youth don’t go into agriculture is because they believe that there is not much profit opportunities in the sector. The planting for foods and jobs will therefore address all these issues like marketing, inputs and others,’ the Project Coordinator stated.

She went on that the operation will also provide employment on transport, processing, and value addition. She expressed satisfaction as importation of 3000 metric tonnes of fertilizer into the country is a good new to them. she continue that planting for foods and jobs has even increased the subsidy of fertilizers to about 50%, it means many farmers will also access it which is a good news to the sector.

She added that initially one of their challenges as farmers was inadequate access to fertilizers and so the announcement of the importation of 3000 metric tonnes of fertilizer into the country comes as a peace of good news to them. She also expressed satisfaction at the whopping reduction in fertilizer prices which meant that a lot more of farmers can access it.